The smallest coffeeshop in the Wharf

So the two sales managers decided to set up their own java joint for weary workers south of the estate.

The Novello Coffee Company operates out of a dinky Piaggio Ape 50 three-wheeled van next to South Quay footbridge. And its premium Cups of Joe have been drawing in Joe Public in increasing numbers since last year.

Island Gardens resident Ross said: "Jon and I have worked together on various projects in the past.

"When we got to MLS, we asked where the nearest coffee place was, and we were told that you had to go across the bridge to one of the chain outlets.

"We used to go to the Mr Coffee outlet in Liverpool Street, so we approached the owner Eddy Atoche and asked if he wanted to go into partnership over here.

"We love Canary Wharf and the people here. And they know a lot about their coffee.

"People are cutting out their luxury items, but coffee is clearly a necessity."
While it's quite possibly the smallest coffee shop ever to pitch up in the Wharf, Novello's main selling point is its premium blend.

Ross said: "We use Illy coffee, which is imported from Italy. It's twice the price of the nearest premium coffee brand, but it's 100 per cent arabica.

"We're looking into importing coffee from places like Columbia and roasting our own.

"We also have two-lever machines which allow baristas to determine the strength of the coffee, as opposed to many of the other machines today which are digital.

"The reaction has been very positive. We get lots of comments from people telling us how cute the van is.

"There was initial scepticism about trying that first coffee from a mobile van, but we've never had any complaints and we get a lot of people coming back."

Novello first parked in South Quay back in early September, but the business hit an unexpected snag just days later.

Jon said: "Lehman Brothers went bankrupt a week after we opened.

"We were concerned as the offices were just over the street from us, but we actually haven't seen any real difference in footfall since the recession hit.

"In the first three months, we were breaking even and we've had steady growth since then. The credit crunch doesn't seem to have hurt us at all.

"The only thing that really affected us was the snow. There were a couple of days when we couldn't open. The vehicle was parked about 10 metres away but it was snowed in and we couldn't dig it out. But the foot traffic on those days was very small anyway."

Before the onset of the credit crunch, market intelligence firm Mintel estimated that the coffee market would rise from £720million in 2007 to £788million by 2012.

While it conceded that growth in the coffee shop market looked set to "plateau" in future years, it has noted that "cafe culture" is on the rise, with consumers becoming "more passionate and educated about coffee".

Ross and Jon are keen to satisfy this new breed of coffee drinker, with 10 more outlets planned by the end of the year.

Larger vans have been ordered with fridges to store smoothies and ice creams. And Novello is even talking to Canary Wharf businesses about Novello Coffee Inside, which would see baristas and machines dispatched to nooks in the estate's offices.

Jon said: "We're looking for an additional site in Canary Wharf. Some of our clients have been asking us to open up something outside the Tube, or maybe near Westferry.

"We're also looking into franchising and opening in other cities.

"People don't necessarily object to paying a couple of pence more if they know it's much higher quality."

The Novello Coffee Company van is in South Quay from 7am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.